The Last Goodbye
by Swimmer117
Summary: The last conversation between two star-crossed lovers. R


_The Last Goodbye_

They had to rush her to the nearest hospital. Contractions had already started and her water had broken hours ago. It was a ship ride to London that felt like forever. Notwithstanding the fact that the _Normandy SR2 _is the fastest ship in the Alliance military. As soon as she arrived, the staff put her on medication and took her immediately to the neonatal intensive care unit. She had been accompanied by Garrus Vakarian and Spectre Kaiden Alenko. The former was holding her hand; the latter was helping the staff get the medical bed to the ward.

"Hang in there Liara," Garrus whispered to the blue asari moaning and fading in and out of consciousness. As they reached the doors to the ward, the two broke off so the staff could do their jobs.

"I hope that she's ok," Kaidan commented as the doors to the ward closed a few meters away from the duo.

"She should be," replied Garrus in his cool tone. "Despite what happened a year ago, this hospital has the best medical equipment available anywhere in the galaxy."

"Courteous of the salarians of course," Kaiden remarked. Garrus chuckled.

"Well considering what we sacrificed just to be alive, it's the least they could." The two fell silent in reflection.

"I wish that she was here to see this," Garrus commented in a tone that hinted sadness. Kaidan nodded in solemn agreement.

"If only."

Still, it was a long birth.

There was only one asari available on staff, a Matron who had plenty of experience with asari birth. Fortunate for the doctors and staff who had never helped one give birth before.

"What do we got?" she asked.

"Dr. Liara T'soni. Her companions said that her water broke two hours ago," replied a female nurse who was hooking Liara up to an IV unit. The Matron grimaced.

"110 is awfully young to give birth, even by asari standards. However, I detect that Liara is no ordinary asari." The Matron looked at the brainwave data coming in from the nods attached to Liara's head. "Interesting," she commented with curiosity in her voice. She then placed her hand on Liara's stomach. She pulled it back instantly; shock and surprise had replaced her curiosity.

"What is it?" asked a male nurse.

"This is…not what I expected."

"Well, don't leave me hanging ma'am."

"Well sir. This asari is delivering twins." The human male looked at the Matron with equal surprise as her's.

"Do asari not conceive twins?" he asked.

"Rarely. It's been more frequent with human partners and we are just starting to understand it ourselves back on Thessia." The Matron raised a hand to her face, thinking. "I'll need to take notes."

"Can you do that after you help us deliver the twins?" asked a doctor who was Liara's region, ready to catch the infant as it comes out of the cervix and vagina.

"Yes of course," replied the Matron as she moved to the doctor to assist in the birthing.

Liara regained consciousness on the second day. She moaned and stretched slowly then opened her eyes. She saw a turian and a quarian talking to a male human in a lab uniform. She couldn't hear them properly for a while but as her awareness returned, the voices became clearer to hear.

"…you are certain that she is alright, doctor?" the quarian asked the doctor. Liara thought that she recognized that voice. "I mean she was unconscious during the birthing." _Is that Tali? _ though Liara.

"Hopefully, that didn't affect her or the newborns," the turian commented in a gruff voice. Liara narrowed her eyes for a second to clarify her vision. _That was Garrus' voice!_ She thought as she smiled. _Then the quarian is definitely Tali._

"I'm sure that she's fine. There were some complications with the birth because of the fact it was twins. The Matron who helped us commented that we used a touch too much Demerol and the sedative we used was strong for asari. Still, we didn't know what to expect with an asari. Honestly, I thought that they and humans shared similar anatomy; guess not. Still, it was nice to have her available to us."

"I agree," said Tali. "Birthings vary from species to species. Krogans, for instance, lay eggs. Sometimes they have very large clutches."

"So I've heard. That would be interesting to help them with their laying" the doctor chuckled. Liara did the same, though she was thinking of Wrex holding Eve's hand as she laid her eggs. Garrus, Tali, and the doctor turned in her directions.

"Well, look who's finally up," Garrus remarked as he walked over to Liara's left side. Tali and the doctor were on her right. He laid a hand on Liara's shoulder. Liara smiled and placed her own on his.

"It's nice to be awake," she replied. The doctor cleared his throat. Liara looked at him. So did Tali, who took a step to her left.

"Doctor T'soni, how are you feeling?" he asked. Liara shrugged.

"Been better," she replied. The doctor smiled.

"Well, good news. The birthing went without much incident. We did have you go under because the birthing was rather intense. The Matron was worried about how your body would take the trauma. She's never seen an asari give birth at your age."

Liara chuckled slightly. "Well, it's not every day that an asari gives birth to twins." Her eyes widened with worry. "How are they?"

"Perfectly healthy, ma'am. The Matron is making sure that they are properly cared for. Would you like to see them?"

Liara nodded eagerly. The doctor put his hand to his ear, turned his head, and spoke to the nurse on duty.

"Could you have the asari twins brought to Room 304 please? Their mother would like to see them." He nodded and turned back to the three friends. "They'll be here in a few moments."

Liara smiled. The doctor left the room. Tali and Garrus turned to Liara.

"Did I hear him right, Liara?" Tali asked. "You had twins?"

"Yes," replied Liara. Her smile just grew bigger. "Exciting isn't it?"

"Well, not for those of us who got you here, T'soni," remarked Garrus. "We were really worried about you, you know?"

Liara nodded. "Thank you Garrus. I owe you for getting me here on time. Same goes for Major Alenko." She paused for a moment. "Where is he?" she inquired.

"He's off on Spectre business unfortunately," answered Garrus. "He said that he's visit when he can."

Liara half smiled. "Will the others come?"

"In time, I'm sure," replied Tali. "I happened to have some free time when Garrus told me that you had gone into labor. I got here as fast as I could."

Liara smiled. The quarians had spent much of their available time restoring their home world with the geth. Legion's sacrifice had been for the best and Tali made sure that his memory lived on. Then she remembered. She looked down. Tears started to roll down her face. "I miss Shepard," she murmured, almost choking on the name. "I wish that she was here right now."

Two familiar hands lay on her shoulders. Liara looked up first to Tali, then to Garrus with red eyes and a tear soaked face. Both shared her pain.

"We both miss her as well," Tali said after a few moments had passed.

"We really do, Liara" Garrus said in turn. "I'm sure that she's looking down on us and smiling, most of all at you." Despite the tears that ran free from her face, Liara smiled. Garrus was always one to speak the truth of a situation, despite how grim it is.

The door to her room opened. The three turned their heads to see the nurse wheel in two infant beds. Garrus left Liara's side to assist. The nurse nodded and said thank you. She then picked up the bundle wrapped in pink. Garrus did the same with the other infant. Liara took hold of the first and looked into her child's face. This one was awake and her eyes stared back at her mother's face. Liara gasped and held a hand over her mouth. More tears streamed down her face.

"What is it?" Tali and Garrus asked at the same time. Liara straightened herself and attempted to regain herself. She looked up at her friends

"This one has her eyes," she responded in a shaky, nearly broken voice. She then looked back at her infant. Her child. Their legacy.

"Well, this one is asleep, if that helps," remarked Garrus as he brought over the other infant. Liara took the other child in her free arm and looked at her. Sure enough, this one was sound asleep. Her skin had a faint purple hue to it, while the one with Shepard's eyes had blue skin just like Liara's.

"They are adorable," giggled Tali as she stroked the head of the blue infant. Liara chuckled back.

"Yes, I suppose they are."

"Have you thought of names?" asked Garrus. Liara nodded.

"I'm thinking Benezia for this one," she answered, raised the purple infant.

"And this one?" inquired Tali, nodding to the blue one. Liara felt tears well up in her eyes for a third time. Garrus' hand found itself onto her shoulder again. She looked up at him.

"I think that it would be appropriate Liara. You know, to honor her."

"Okay," she replied, then returned her gaze to the blue asari with violet eyes. _Zerra it is,_ she thought. This time, the tears came down slowly.

It was night on the ninth day of her stay in the hospital that Liara woke up with a gasp. She thought that she heard something. She was disconnected from most of the machines by this point and she was due to be checked out tomorrow. She threw off the blanket and climbed out of bed. The infants were in the room with her; the Matron had insisted this once she found out that Liara was awake. Something about building bonds, she told the staff. They obeyed her without complaint. Liara walked by them. The twins were sound asleep. She opened the door to her room and looked out in the hallway. It was dark and empty. There were large windows on both ends of the hallway. Both looked over the skyline of London; what remained of it, anyways. A figure stood in front of one of them.

Liara walked quietly up to the figure. As she stepped into the light, her eyes widened.

"I'm surprised how fast London recovered from the Reaper attack," remarked the figure in a calm and smooth female. Her hair was candy apple red, her eyes the same as the blue asari infant and faint scars were on her face; reminders of the Lazarus Project that she brought her back, of the length Liara went through to make it happened. Liara reached a hand out to touch the shoulder. It was real

She was still in the armor that she was in when she went on the Crucible. It looked like it hadn't aged a day. Liara retracted her hand and cover her mouth with both hands. She lowered them slowly. The figure turned her face to the light. Liara smiled amongst the tears.

"Shepard!" she cried out. Liara leapt at her and hugged her partner. Shepard hugged her back. Tears poured down both of their faces.

"It's good to see you, Liara," Shepard whispered into her ear. Liara nodded in agreement.

After a few moments, both moved to look at one another.

"But Shepard, you're dead," Liara stated in an emotion filled voice.

"I am dead," remarked Shepard.

"But how-"

"The Catalyst kept my ashes and reformed my body," finished Shepard. Liara smiled, unable to believe the person before her was real. Yet, she was. Shepard looked away. "I asked it if I could visit you, one last time. It said that it was possible but only for a short while." She released Liara and walked away. "I don't know how it did it, or how long I had. I want to make the most of it." Liara bit her lip. Fresh tears continued to fall down her face.

"Shepard…We..." she began. She paused, unable to continue. She was crying now, sadness had overcome her joy. She fell on her knees. Shepard knelt beside her, curious.

"What is it?" she asked. Liara looked at her, eyes blood red from tears. She shook her head. Shepard stroked her back gently, and then sat down to hold her beloved. Shepard rocked Liara back and forth gently. "Tell me when you're ready, okay?"

Liara nodded.

After a few minutes, Liara wiped away the tears and looked at her partner. The Lazarus scars were more prominent now. _Not much time left, I'm guessing_, she thought.

"Shepard, I got pregnant. I had twins."

The look on Shepard's face was what Liara expected. Shock and grief were soon present on her face. Soon Shepard was the one trembling. Liara saw tears crawl down her face.

"Twins?" Shepard asked in a broken voice. Liara nodded.

"Would you like to see them?" she asked. Shepard nodded. Liara got up and reached out a hand to her. Shepard took it and got up.

Liara escorted her to the room. She told Shepard how everyone was very nice to her and how everyone visited her and the twins constantly. Shepard chuckled when she heard about Kaiden's gift and raised an eyebrow when Liara showed her a card from Aria T'Loak.

Soon, the couple reached their children.

"Here they are, Shepard. Our offspring."

Shepard reached out and touched each of them. Both stirred in their sleep. Shepard noticed that one was blue, like Liara, and the other was purple.

"What are their names?" she asked.

Liara pointed to the purple infant first. "This one is named Benezia, after my mother."

Shepard nodded. "That's a good name." She looked at the blue one. "And her?"

Silence was her answer. Shepard looked at Liara. She saw the tears. Liara wiped them away and looked at Shepard.

"She shares your name."

It was Shepard's turn to cry and fall on her knees, for Liara to hold her close. The couple shared a good, long cry in each other's arms.

"I want to hold them. Before I go, you know?" Shepard asked in a broken voice as she wiped her tears away. Liara nodded in agreement. They got up and Shepard held Benezia for a few moments, then the blue infant that bore her name. After a few minutes, she placed the infant back in the bed. She then turned to Liara and held her hands. The two stared into each other's eyes then they embraced. Shepard then kissed Liara passionately, who returned the passion. After a moment had passed, they came out and looked into each other's eyes again.

"Shepard," she began then she noticed it.

Fragment by fragment, Shepard began to disappear. It was pixelated, like an V.I. vanishing from existence. It started with her feet and worked its way up.

"I know," said Shepard. Despite how painful it looked, Liara noticed that Shepard had little pain on her face. In fact, she was crying. And smiling. Shepard embraced Liara again and kissed her. Shepard's hands cradled Liara's body. Liara placed her hands on Shepard's shoulders and kissed back. It was the last kiss they would ever have together and she wanted to remember it.

Shepard's body continued to disintegrate. When it reached her chest, Shepard came out of the kiss and held Liara's face, tears down her face. Liara held the hand fondly and cried into it. She looked at Shepard for the last time.

"I love you Liara T'soni," said Shepard as her extended arm and neck vanished slowly. "And I always will."

"I love you too, Zerra Shepard," Liara replied boldly, despite the emotions and tears. She saw Shepard's face disintegrate. Liara smiled at her.

Shepard smiled back, as she vanished into nothingness. Liara fell to her knees, held her face in her hands, and cried her heart out.


End file.
